Penthetria distincta Hardy, 1945

Fitzgerald, Scott J., 2021, Penthetria Meigen (Diptera: Bibionidae): Revision of the New World species and world catalog, Zootaxa 4926 (4), pp. 451-500 : 467-469

Penthetria distincta Hardy, 1945

( Figs. 9–11, 42, 48, Map 1)

Type Material. Holotype male (not examined): GUATEMALA: “Antigua,” 24 June 1923, E.G. Smyth ( USNM) . Paratypes (examined): GUATEMALA: GUATEMALA: Guatemala City, 2 May 1923, E.G. Smyth, 4M ( USNM) , 20 July 1923, 1M ( USNM) ; SACATEPÉQUEZ: “ Antiqua ,” D.G. Eisen, 2M ( USNM) ; “ Antiqua ,” 24 June 1923, E.G. Smyth, 1F ( allotype) ( USNM) ; QUETZALTENANGO: Volcan Santa María , Nov., Schaus & Barnes, 1M ( USNM) .

Additional Material examined. EL SALVADOR: LA LIBERTAD: Santa Tecla, 7 14 95, P. A.B., 1M, 1F ( USNM) ; GUATEMALA: GUATEMALA: Puerta Parada, 1850 m, Bosques cipres, J.C. Schuster, 15–22 XII 2012, 1M ( UVGC) , 22–29 XII 2012, 2M ( SFC) , 29 XII 2012 – 5 I 2013, 1F ( SFC) , 22 II–1 III 2014, 1F ( SFC) ; Puerta Parada, 1850 m, Casa Jack, 14.556630, -90.463362, 5–12 Jan 2013, J.C. Schuster, 1F ( SFC) ; Puerta Parada, 1840 m, 7–14 VII 2018, J.C. Schuster, 1F ( UVGC) , 14–21 VII 2018, 1M ( SFC) ; TOTONICAPÁN: Momostenango, 9 Dec. 1979, 1M ( UCDC) ; MEXICO: CHIAPAS: 7200 ft., S. Crist. las Casas, 1 June 1969, Malaise trap, 5M, 1F ( CNCI) ; Sn. Cristobal, 22.VII.1969, L.A. Kelton, 1M ( CNCI) .

Diagnosis. Males of P. distincta can be distinguished from all New World congeners by the following combination of characters: tergite nine with posteromedial emargination deep (nearly subdividing the tergite) ( Fig. 9) with the apices of the resulting lobes truncate and shelf-like (best observed in posterior view) ( Fig. 10), posteroventral edge of tergite nine with a field of densely-set, short, black, spine-like setae, which contrast the typical setae on the remainder of the tergite (difficult to see in undissected specimens), gonostylus shining, basally with long hairs, but more distally with only very minute and spare hairs, slender and apically coming to a narrowly rounded point ( Figs. 9–11), ventromedial lobes of gonocoxite absent to very weakly developed ( Fig. 11), and R 2+3 often with a basal appendix (as in Fig. 2).

Remarks. P. distincta is a fairly large species with male wing 7.0–9.5 mm (n=4) and female wing 12.0–12.5 mm (n=2) and is most similar to P. appendicula (see “Remarks” under P. appendicula ).

Geographic & Seasonal Distribution. Guatemala and Mexico (Map 1); additional Guatemalan records in Hardy (1945). Seasonal distribution summarized in Table 1.